Relaxation and Sapolil

The Fall and Winter are the just fruits of a busy Spring and Summer. I could get used to just a couple of events a month, quite relaxing. My days now consist of playing with my children, bothering my wife, and procrastinating home projects (and not returning next year's wedding bids!) All we have done this month is a wedding rehearsal dinner and this weekend's gig. And that is fine by me.

Saturday we dropped off a simple buffet for 20 with our friends at Gifford Hirlinger and then jetted back into town for a four course dinner at Sapolil Cellars. The dinner we donated as part of an auction item for the ywca. Sapolil provided the next to perfect space, as seen above, and the Kate Bray Band provided the stellar entertainment.

Menu:

• Arugula and beet salad, fresh apple, candied nuts, goat cheese
• Cauliflower soup, marsala sauteed crimini mushrooms, truffle salt, cauliflower crisp
• Beef burgundy, reduction sauce, creamy polenta, roast butternut squash and sage brown butter, bacon braised brussel sprouts
• Chocolate mousse and vanilla cream from the Patisserie.

New Favorite Things:

• The soup above is pureed cauliflower, a little butter, onion, thyme, chicken stock, and half and half. It is a third as rich as it looks, really. It is earthy, and full bodied, and the perfect base for the flavorful mushrooms and truffle salt. I used to make cauliflower croutons to top this, but this time I made little dehydrated cauliflower trees. Cutest little things, and they taste great too.

Back to Work - after an easy Thanksgiving we get crazy. Barrel Tasting at Longshadows, Reininger, Waterbrook, and possibly a couple more. If you are coming for Barrel Weekend make sure and stop by one of these fine establishments to taste our snacks with their great wine.

Cheers